1. Technical Field
This invention relates to pour spouts and, more particularly, to a pour spout including a removable lid for directing paint away from a paint can during operating conditions.
2. Prior Art
The design of conventional paint cans has long been a nuisance to the painter. Paint cans for paint commercially sold are normally filled to the brim; stirring or dipping a brush therein usually causes the overflow of paint into the rim channel and often down the sides of the can, sometimes onto the supporting surface. When paint flows into the rim channel, it may dry and prevent effective resealing of the can by the cover. An inadequate seal allows paint in the can to dry out during storage or may result in spillage if the can is upset.
Sometimes wet paint flows into the rim channel and the can is resealed before the paint has an opportunity to dry. The wet paint dries and acts as a cement, making it difficult to remove the lid from the can at a later time. Because the rim channel is so narrow, it is extremely difficult to clean excess paint out of the rim channel.
Furthermore, design of conventional paint cans does not enhance the pouring of paint. The curvilinear boundary of the inside of the can and the rim channel over which paint must flow makes it difficult to control the flow and to prevent paint from running down the edges of the can.
Moreover, the curvilinear edge of the inner surface of the paint can does not provide a suitable surface for skimming excess paint from a paintbrush. Scraping the brush against the inside surface of the can does not uniformly remove paint from the brush, which in turn does not enhance uniform application of paint to a surface.
Accordingly, a need remains for a combination pour spout and lid that prevents spillage and improves the shelf life of paint cans that have been opened. The present invention satisfies such a need by preventing the spilling and splashing of paint as it is being mixed or poured. It further reduces the amount of time spent cleaning the rims of paint cans so that a tight seal can be maintained for storing the paint.